"Latte?" Kathryn asked as she raised her coffee mug, savouring the warm taste of her own, whiskey infused Irish coffee.
"Mocha" Seven replied, placing her own mug onto the table, "a friend introduced me to it.". The women had been 'catching up over a coffee' as Janeway liked to refer to it, after Seven had joined the Fenris Rangers. Both savoured the chance to talk and update each other. Even with the passing years, they continued their coffee dates.
"So, tell me how the rest of the crew
have been lately?" Kathryn asked as her face hovered above the holo emitter as Seven sat in her cabin, her projected face shimmered in the dull lighting.
"They are well." Seven responded with a small smile. "Picard is … as efficient as always. Soji is adjusting well with knowing her true identity. She, struggled, for some time, however, Picard has been patient with her … not unlike you were to me." she dipped her voice as she recalled her early days onboard Voyager, earning a small, lopsided smile from Janeway.
"Rios is a competent captain, he and Dr Jurati seem rather content together, she has proven to be of great value on board, with Soji in particular."
She paused, averting her eyes slightly from Kathryn's "Elnor… he is." pausing once more, considering her words. "He is a formidable warrior, accomplished, fiercely loyal. He is young. He strives for knowledge. He has, great potential." A small smile creeping across her mouth. "I, have grown somewhat fond of him. He reminds me..." she trailed off with a hushed tone.
Janeway looked from the screen, understanding Seven's unspoken reference to Icheb, the young Borg child whom they had rescued when onboard Voyager. Seven had taken him under her wing, nurturing him, helping to mould him into an exemplary young science officer. Only to be cruelly and brutally butchered by the lackeys of Bjayzel, the Betazoid who lured Seven into her bed in order to extract the location of former Borg to harvest their parts for latinum. Ultimately, at the cost of Icheb's life. Seven had never been able to forgive herself, she never would. She bore the weight of her guilt as though it were carved up upon her flesh, as plain as the implants she still bore.
Kathryn looked from the screen, coaxing Seven's gaze back to her own with her silence. "Then he has a wonderful mentor," she stated, smiling fondly at her former astrometrics officer, now a treasured friend, receiving a tearful smile.
Seven's hands toyed with invisible items on the table as she fought to contain her emotions, willing her memories of the day she found Icheb in that room…
"So" Kathryn's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"You've still to tell me about Raffi."
Seven glanced back at the screen, drawing a breath deep into her chest.
"Raffi, is…. She is, fine." she stumbled, unable to contain the coy smirk made its way onto her face.
Kathryn's face grew larger as she leaned closer, resting her elbows upon her desk, "Fine?" she repeated back to the blonde who everted her eyes, avoiding the knowing tone in her former Captain's voice.
Turning back to the holo screen Seven watched as Kathryn rested her chin upon her hand, "elaborate?" she stated, with a grin.
"We are friends." Seven attempted to state, with failed emphasis.
"Mmm-hmmm…" Kathryn drolled mockingly, watching as Seven looked around the room behind her screen, desperate to avoid eye contact.
"Yes. Friends." she said to the corner of the wall, already feeling the blush creeping from her neck to her face. "She is an extremely accomplished member of the crew."
Kathryn fought to stifle the growing giggle withing, savouring seeing the blonde squirm before her.
Seven meanwhile, fought against looking back at her, knowing that if she did, Kathryn would say something, something which would confirm what she felt for Raffi.
The silence hung in the air for a long moment.
From the screen, Kathryn's growing smirk teased, "Oh I'm sure she is.."
Seven fell back upon the only defence she could, she attempted to pull on her Borg mask and jutted out her chin, as she looked Janeway square in the eye.
The two women observed each other from their screens. Kathryn's smile grew wider as she watched Seven battle to maintain her composure, and failing rapidly. She rarely saw her in this state, Seven Of Nine was the epitome of calm, stoic. Witnessing her in this flustered state was novel, even sweet. Raffi had clearly gotten under Seven's skin.
Kathryn maintained her silence as she watched Seven's defences begining to crumble, as she exhaled a breath, her shoulders relaxing… head slowly dropping to the side, dropping her gaze once more.
Seven opened her mouth to speak, holding back for a moment, "I … like her." she whispered.
Kathryn allowed Seven's confession to hang in the air for a moment before responding. "Like her? As more than a friend I assume?" she asked gently.
Blonde hair flowed as Seven slowly nodded her confirmation. "Yes" she whispered.
"What about Raffi?" Kathryn asked in a hushed voice, "has she offered any inclination that she feels the same?"
Hesitantly, Seven responded, "There have been … moments."
Kathryn pondered her response.
"Sweetheart."
Hearing the name which only Kathryn used for her, she looked up, seeing her mentor gazing gently at her. "What's holding you back?"
Seven could feel her emotions stir. The prick of tears threatened. She felt her heart pound within her chest. Mirroring Kathryn's posture, she leaned her elbows upon the desk. Slowly she brushed her palms across her face, her hands coming to rest in front of her mouth, losing herself in her thoughts.
"Sweetheart?"
Seven let her hands fall to the table, "I, I have never felt like this, about anyone…" she confessed.
Kathryn watched as a tear fell from the former drone's eye, wishing that she could reach through the holo screen to wipe it away.
"You deserve to be happy honey." Seven heard the gravelled tones of Kathryn whisper and allowed her tears to flow freely. "What's bothering you with this?"
Seven looked at Kathryn's image with vision blurred with her tears.
"It scares me."
"What does sweetheart?" Kathryn whispered.
Seven's hands rubbed together as she held Janeway's look.
Breathing deeply, she spoke; "everyone whom I have let in, everyone whom I have grown to love, I have … … … I have lost them all."
She paused, as warm tears crept down her pale skin, dropping onto her tabled hands.
"My parents. One. Mezoti, Rebi and Azan, the crew, Chakotay ... Icheb." her voice breaking with her final word.
"All of them, everyone I let in."
Kathryn felt her heart break as she watched Seven open her heart to her, she reached her hand towards her screen, desperate to comfort the woman before her.
"Honey…"
"I don't want to go through that again…" Seven said, her voice barely a whisper.
"And….. I can't put this on her…" she added, gesturing towards herself as she wept.
Kathryn fell silent as she considered her response, torn between silence and advice.
"Seven," she finally spoke, "I understand. I do. But, sweetheart, you deserve to be loved." Kathryn attempted to convey as much sincerity as she could manage into her words.
"And, don't you think that Raffi has the right to decide whether or not she gets that opportunity?" she added with a soft smile.
"Im scared."
"I know you are. But honey," Seven smiled as the use of the word resonated with her, recalling Raffi's favouring of it, "allow Raffi the chance to make her own choice … yes? If she has feelings for you also then why deny yourselves that opportunity?"
Kathryn sighed with some relief as she watched Seven slowly wipe the tears from her face. A slow, resolute nod of her head confirmed that she had heard her, as she took a long, shuddering breath.
"Yes?" the ageing Admiral asked.
"Okay"
She watched as the normally confident Ranger pulled her lip between her teeth… a mannerism which she had not witnessed before, and wished that she would crawl into the screen to comfort her.
"Seven…"
The blond lifted her head to look at the screen.
"Go get your girl."